Surgical leg splint



Jan- 18, 1938. E. E. LONGFELLOW 2,106,151

SURGICAL LEG SPLINT 'Filed NOV. 16, 1935 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 18, 1938 SURGICAL LEG SPLINT Earl E. Longfellow, Warsaw, Ind., assignor to Harry Herschel Leiter, Warsaw, Ind.

Application November 16, 1935, Serial No. 50,169

4 Claims. (Cl. 12884) This invention relates to improvements in surgical leg splints of a similar type to that set forth in my previous application, Ser. No. 720,581, now Patent No. 2,069,721, but difiering therefrom tion of the rod 3 that projects upwardly from the cross-head is threaded and has thereon an adjusting nut I3 located beneath the lower end of the guide [2 so that by turning the adjusting 5 in several particulars. nut the frame I is longitudinally moved with re- '5 One of the objects of the present invention is spect to said rods in opposition to the action of the provision in a splint that has members that the spring 9. are respectively applied to an uninjured leg and The upper end of the frame 1 preferably is the injured leg of a patient, of mechanism to perarcuate and has secured thereon an U-shaped 'mit rotative adjustment of both of said members strip constituting a stirrup l4 that is detachably 10 as Well as relative longitudinal adjustment fastened to the frame preferably by means of thereof. screws l5. Another object is to provide a splint having The. laterally extending end portion of the members for connection with the uninjured and beam 5 has adjustably mounted thereon a bracket injured legs, having stirrups that are readily del6, there being a series of spaced apertures ll in tachable from said members. the beam for the reception of a securing bolt 18 Other objects and advantages of the invention that extends through the bracket and one or anappear in the following description. other of said apertures. The slot I9 in the An illustrative embodiment of the invention is bracket through which the beam extends is suf- 20 shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: ficiently large as to permit of limited tilting 20 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a structure in movement upon the axis of the bolt and also the which the invention is embodied, a portion being lower end of said bracket, being closed, prevents broken away; and inadvertent disconnection of the bracket from Fig. 2 is a top plan view projected from Fig. 1, the beam when the bolt I8 is removed to permit certain parts being in horizontal section. adjustments therebetween. The upper end of 25 The illustrative embodiment of the invention the'bracket has a threaded stud 20 upon which is includes in its structure a cross-head I provided adjustably secured a clamp 2| provided with a at the ends thereof with corresponding rods 2 tightening screw 22 to secure the clamp against and 3, which rods extend in parallel relation with rotative movement relative to the stud. The each other and. at right angles with respect to the clamp has at its upper end an arcuate extension 30 length of the cross-head. The lower ends of said 23 to the sides of which are removably secured rods project downwardly from said cross-head corresponding separable strips 24 that extend in and are threaded to receive corresponding nuts parallel relation with each other and constitute 4, and have mounted thereon between said nuts a second stirrup. The strips 24 are individually and the cross-head a beam 5 that extends laterremovable from said extension upon removal of 5 ally in one direction. The beam has in one end screws 25 by which said strips are secured to the portion thereof oppositely disposed arcuate slots extension on the outer faces thereof. Each strip 6 through which the lower ends of the rods 2 has made therein a series of perforations 26 for and 3 respectively extend whereby the cross-head the reception therethrough of a skeletal pin 21 is adapted to be adjusted rotatively upon an axis which is adapted to be inserted transversely with 40 at right angles thereto relative to the beam. respect to said stirrup.

Upon the end portions of the rods 2 and 3 that o emu-On project upwardly from the cross-head is mountp ed a frame 1 that is slidable thereon longitudinal- In use, the stirrup I4 is placed astride of the ly with respect to said rods. The frame 1 has a lower extremity of the uninjured leg of the patient 45 hook 8 adjacent its upper end that projects lat- (not shown). The sides of the stirrup are then erally from its outermost side and has connecpreferably encased together with the uninjured tion with one end of a retracting spring 9. The leg by applying a plaster cast in the usual mancross-head I also has a projecting hook II] that ner. The frame I is thus firmly held attached has connection with the outer end of said spring, to the uninjured leg. The strips 24 of the other 5 which spring acts to restrain movement of the stirrup are then placed astride of the injured leg frame on said rods in the direction away from the and, if the surgeon elects to apply skeletal treatcross-head. The frame has at its sides correment, a pin preferably of the Steinmann type is sponding elongated guides H and I2 into which inserted through the perforations 26 in said strips said rods loosely extend respectively. That porand the injured leg so as to engage the bone frag- 55 or spread between the legs of the patient. The.

clamp 2| is then loosened on the stud by turning the screw 22 to permit movement of the clamp to secure the desired rotative adjustment of the leg, after which the screw is tightened so that adjustment of the leg is secured in that respect.

After the legs have been secured in their respective stirrups and the plaster casts have set. The nuts 4 are loosened so as to permit adjustment of the cross-head with respect to the beam 5. In this manner extroversion and introversion of the uninjured leg is readily accomplished by maneuvering it into a good and comfortable position, after which the nuts 4 are tightened. Then, by turning the adjusting nut l3, movement is imparted to the cross-head I and the beam 5 away from the frame 1 in opposition to the restraint of the spring 9, and in this manner is applied extension with respect to the injured leg and counterextension with respect to the uninjured leg.

A valuable feature of the invention is the adjustments of the supporting members for the stirrups with respect to their connecting beam that afi'ords advantageous positioning of the uninjured as well as the injured leg.

And another feature of value is that the strips that form the stirrups are connected with the frame 1 and extension 23 respectively in such manner as to admit of their detachment therefrom without discomforture to the patient.

I claim:-

1. In a surgical splint having members applicable respectively to an uninjured and injured leg of a patient, a cross-head having parallel rods located respectively at its ends that extend at right angles thereto, a beam provided with arcuate slots through which the lower ends of said rods extend and permit relative adjustment of said cross-head and beam transversely to said rods, means for securing said beam in its adjusted positions, a frame having guides at its sides into which the upper end portions of said rods slidably extend, an adjusting nut having threaded relation with one of said rods located between said crosshead and frame, a retracting spring the ends of which are connected respectively with said crosshead and frame, a stirrup removably secured to said frame, a bracket adjustably secured on said beam, a clamp rotatively adjustable on said bracket provided with an extension, and strips removably secured respectively upon the outer sides of said extension constituting a second stirrup.

2. In a surgical splint having members applicable respectively to uninjured and injured legs of a patient, a frame provided with a stirrup and having longitudinal parallel guides, a cross-head having parallel rods that extend into said guides to permit longitudinal adjustment of said frame thereon, a beam connected with said cross-head so as to permit relative adjustment of said crosshead and beam transversely to said rods, means for securing said beam in its adjusted positions, means for moving and securing said frame adjustably on said rods relative to said cross-head, a retracting spring connecting said frame and cross-head, a bracket secured on said beam, a clamp rotatively adjustable on said bracket, and strips removably secured in connection with said bracket constituting a second stirrup.

3. In a surgical splint having members applicable respectively to uninjured and injured legs of a patient, a frame provided with a stirrup and having longitudinal parallel guides, a cross-head having parallel rods that extend into said guides to permit longitudinal adjustment of said frame thereon, a beam connected with said cross-head so as to permit relative adjustment of said crosshead and beam transversely to said rods, means for securing said beam in its adjusted positions, means for moving and securing said frame adjustably on said rods relative to said cross-head, and a second stirrup having an adjustable connection with said beam.

4. A surgical splint applicable to uninjured and injured legs of a patient, said splint having a member including a stirrup for attachment to the uninjured leg and provided with a laterally extending beam, another member including a stirrup for attachment to the injured leg and provided with a supporting bracket therefor, said bracket having an opening therein, through which saidsaid beam, and means for securing said bracket 59 adjustably on said beam.

EARL E. LONGFEILOW. 

